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I've just realised my current repertoire is lacking in more things flashy, so I've decided to compile a list of these pieces for further reference. This list contains display pieces shorter than 5 minutes (some are slightly longer). Feel free to add to them or comment if you feel any piece is inappropriately placed.

first of all there are some star notes next to a few works, with no reference to anywhere...

Then there's the idea that this is a huge list, so good luck in studying them!

Finally, I'm a bit against any kind of grading, so while I understand what it is you're doing, I find that, apart from the pianist technical and musical abilities, each work has its own merits and difficulties and it's almost unfair putting 15 works in the level "Virtuoso" and ending it there... I think...

EDIT: Me stupid. Star denoted works of 5 minutes or longer... Never mind the first comment please.

The difference between Advanced and Virtuoso can be vast with many degrees between. One example, the last movement of Gargoyles is soooo much more difficult technically than Widmung. I would place it in the higher category.

I will probably only end up studying at most 10 of these pieces, but hey, when I googled and search on the web there is no such list, so I decided to make one.

I agree with you that grading a piece may not be a be clear indication of its merits and difficulties, but I do hope that at least this list can provide some starting points for piano students who wish to start learning a display piece. When I started learning piano, admittedly I was attracted to these pieces but I simply had no idea what are their difficulties. And I expended too many unnecessary hours learning some of them, only to find out that they are way out of my league.

I've just realised my current repertoire is lacking in more things flashy, so I've decided to compile a list of these pieces for further reference.[...]

Ah! I misunderstood. I thought that the list of "these pieces" referred to "my current repertoire." Lacking in things flashy, indeed!?

Regards,

Well, even my students notice that I mostly play lyrical pieces in my performances. To be honest, I find a lot of pieces in this list too cerebral for my taste; I cannot see myself learning the Gargoyle or Rachmaninov Op 39 No 6 for example. But, hey, who knows I may like them in the future.

pianoloverus
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Registered: 05/29/01
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I see no point in having a list with such a huge range of difficulty. If you're basic level was say Early Advanced then virtually all the pieces in the two higher categories would be too difficult and mostly a waste of time. And at least some of the pieces in the lower level would be uninteresting or perhaps not the best choice pedagogically.

I also see no point in making a lengthy list in even a single category. There are tens of thousands of possible pieces in each category but what is point of listing them? You're certainly not going to study all the pieces on even one group of the list.

Decide what level you're in and find three pieces that you like a lot and are flashy enough for you in that level. You may find that pieces chosen mostly for their flashiness wear thin after a while and having a handful of pieces like this in your repertoire is plenty.

More than half of your pieces in even your "Advanced" category require what I would call virtuoso conservatory technique to play at a decent level. This level if reached by 1% or less of pianists.

I see no point in having a list with such a huge range of difficulty. If you're basic level was say Early Advanced then virtually all the pieces in the two higher categories would be too difficult and mostly a waste of time. And at least some of the pieces in the lower level would be uninteresting or perhaps not the best choice pedagogically.

I also see no point in making a lengthy list in even a single category. There are tens of thousands of possible pieces in each category but what is point of listing them? You're certainly not going to study all the pieces on even one group of the list.

Decide what level you're in and find three pieces that you like a lot and are flashy enough for you in that level. You may find that pieces chosen mostly for their flashiness wear thin after a while and having a handful of pieces like this in your repertoire is plenty.

More than half of your pieces in even your "Advanced" category require what I would call virtuoso conservatory technique to play at a decent level. This level if reached by 1% or less of pianists.

Yes, as I have mentioned already above, I would probably only end up studying 10 of these pieces. When I studied music in college, I had to play really heavy pieces such as large scale works by Scriabin and Franck. And now that I am teaching full time, my repertoire gravitates heavily towards lyrical pieces. So on the contrary, I actually find working on these flashy pieces refreshing.

Also, the tricky thing is I plan to assign these pieces for my current students for competition and festival purpose very soon, and I feel that I will not be able to teach them as best as I would if I do not work on them beforehand.

I am actually working and preparing a few pieces in this list for my upcoming performances. Some of these pieces are only at the intermediate or early advanced level groups I listed above, yet I found them musically satisfying them to learn despite being technically lower than my current level.